


Crush

by HitanTenshi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Crushes, Jealousy, M/M, Naruto wanting Iruka's attention and not having a reference point, it's an innocent crush i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 03:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11072682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HitanTenshi/pseuds/HitanTenshi
Summary: Naruto realizes that he likes Iruka-sensei a lot





	Crush

He honestly hadn’t meant to overhear. Sure, he’d been hiding in this supply cupboard in order to carry out his latest prank on Academy grounds, but that doesn’t mean he had been expected a pair of breathy, intense voices to claim ownership of the small file room, forcing him to stay put or be caught.

“We’re at school.”

“So? All the kids have left by now. It’s just you and me~”

“Mizuki…”

There had been an awful lot of kissing after that, followed by some moans and other sounds he had staunchly decided not to categorize because, sure, he gets a kick out of turning into a naked woman, but this is different! But what Naruto can’t forget is the way his homeroom teacher, Iruka, had sounded like he so, so, _so very much_ wanted his fellow teacher, Mizuki, to keep making those adult sounds with him. Nor can he shake a strange feeling that has staked out in his gut since then; it tastes like jealousy.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

“Huh?” Sakura looks at him like he’s grown a second head. “You want to know how I feel about Sasuke-kun?”

“Not specifically,” Naruto grumbles. “I wanna know what it’s like to like somebody, that’s all.”

Forget a second head; Sakura is looking at him like he’s grown no less than seven. When he doesn’t budge, though, she picks her jaw up from the ground and straightens, covering her mouth with a polite hand as she clears her throat. He does think Sakura is cute and talented and all, but she can be a pain when she enters lecture mode. “When you like someone, you want them to notice you. You want them to smile at you and tell you that they like you, too. And then…” She turns a little pink. “Well, when you’re older, liking someone can lead to other things, right?”

Naruto doesn’t answer her. So, Iruka-sensei likes Mizuki-sensei? What chance does a screw-up kid like him have against an accomplished and respected adult?

He’s a little glad that Sakura then gets too wrapped up in singing Sasuke’s praises to pester him about why he’d asked her in the first place.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

Naruto only knows one way to get Iruka-sensei to notice him, and that’s by pulling elaborate stunts. Even when the holler of “Narutooooo!!!” signals impending punishment, he can’t help but grin from ear to ear. He makes as much trouble as he possibly can, just so that Iruka-sensei will spend more time yelling at him instead of kissing Mizuki-sensei. And it works, brilliantly! …Well, until the last person he wants butting in does.

“You were a handful before,” says Mizuki-sensei, all smiles and sweet talk when he catches Naruto after school, “but you’re running poor Iruka-sensei ragged. If parents start to think he can’t control his class, then who knows what could happen.”

If that’s a threat, it hits home. If Iruka-sensei were to lose his job, or even be switched to another class, then he wouldn’t be Naruto’s teacher anymore. He wouldn’t have responsibility over Naruto, wouldn’t chase him down anymore. And having Iruka-sensei gone from his life is the absolute last thing Naruto wants. “I’ll… try to do better.” Mizuki-sensei pats his head. Naruto wonders what adult sounds he’s made Iruka-sensei make with that hand, and the jealousy in his gut squirms.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

It’s late afternoon on the last day of school before summer break. Naruto is trying not to think about how much he’s going to miss seeing Iruka-sensei every day as he takes his usual spot on the swing on the far side of the Academy courtyard. He’d made good on his word to Mizuki-sensei, and the pranks have all but died away. He doesn’t want Iruka-sensei to get in trouble because of him. He just wants Iruka-sensei to notice him, to smile at him… to like him, too. He wants Iruka-sensei to welcome him home and hug him — when he’s feeling especially grown-up, he thinks he wouldn’t say no to a kiss or two. Iruka-sensei is the only person who’s ever given him a glimmer of hope that he could actually have a place to belong in this village that hates him so much… and he’s too afraid of losing that hope to be honest about how he feels.

“Is something troubling you?”

Naruto straightens as if zapped with electricity. Standing beside him, arms folded in tranquility behind his back, is the Sandaime Hokage. If Naruto had to add a second person to the list of people who might not hate him, the old man would be a likely candidate. He doesn’t meet the Hokage’s discerning gaze as he nods.

“It’s sad to part ways from the friends one has made, isn’t it?”

Baffled as ever by how shrewd the old man is, Naruto nods again.

“You know… I hear that Iruka-sensei is very fond of ramen. In fact, I believe he’s there right now.”

Naruto gapes. Does the Hokage have a mind-reading jutsu or something!? His excitement, however, meets a roadblock quickly. “Mizuki-sensei’ll be there, too, huh…”

“Oh?” And the Sandaime’s eyes crinkle at the edges. “But Mizuki-sensei hates ramen.”

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

“One bowl of beef ramen, please!” Naruto plops his patched froggy wallet onto the counter of Ichiraku’s as he hops up onto a stool. _The_ stool, in fact, directly beside Iruka-sensei, to whom he shows his brightest smile. Iruka-sensei smiles back, and Naruto’s heart sings.

“Did the Sandaime give you your allowance?” he asks through a mouthful of noodles, pointing to the wallet with his chopsticks. For Iruka-sensei to take note of any part of Naruto’s circumstances, it makes him feel like the sun has set right into his belly and warmed him up. Iruka-sensei’s smile is like that sun, he thinks.

“Yup!” he chimes. “He even gave me a bit extra, for being so good this past month.”

Iruka-sensei practically beams at him. “You really have. I’m proud of you, Naruto.”

It takes all of his self-control not to launch himself into Iruka-sensei’s arms. He can’t remember feeling this happy. Old Man Teuchi sets his ramen before him (Teuchi and Ayame would probably make the roster of the We Don’t Hate Naruto Club after Iruka-sensei and the Sandaime), and all seems right with the world in the moment that he takes a deep whiff of ramen-scented heaven.

“Oh, so _this_ is where you went.”

Naruto probably shouldn’t want so badly to throw his chopsticks like so many senbon upon hearing that voice. Mizuki-sensei approaches Iruka-sensei from the side opposite, drawing Iruka-sensei’s attention away. Naruto doesn’t like that one bit, but tries not to let it show. Even so, he feels Mizuki-sensei’s eyes on him for a moment, and the gaze makes him feel exposed. The two sensei exchange a few words — Naruto catches phrases like _“your place”_ and _“later tonight”_ and feels jealousy burning up all of his happiness prior — but, thankfully, Mizuki-sensei doesn’t take a seat. He must _really_ hate ramen, and Naruto thinks that, if nothing else, is a sure sign that he doesn’t deserve Iruka-sensei.

Once they two are alone again (aside from Old Man Teuchi tending the stove), Naruto finally channels his jealousy into something productive: bravery.

“Iruka-sensei?”

“Mm?”

“Do you like Mizuki-sensei?”

Iruka-sensei had been on the verge of taking a sip of water; he wisely stops rather than splutter. “…Well, yes. He and I have been friends since we were children.”

“But… do you _like_ him? Like… _like_ like?”

He can guess that Iruka-sensei is weighing his words, but at least he doesn’t get the sense that he’s going to be treated like a baby who can’t understand anything. “Why do you ask?”

Ugh. Good question. But he can’t lie, with Iruka-sensei looking at him so intently. “Because _I_ like you.”

He’d considered several responses to such a confession, but for Iruka-sensei to smile gently hadn’t been one of them. “You do?”

“Y..yeah. So… will you go on a date with me?”

A twinkle of mischief flits across Iruka-sensei’s eyes. “Aren’t we having dinner together right now?”

“Well… yeah.” He fidgets on his stool. “I know I can’t go on a _real_ date with you, though, so… you can just say so.”

He feels Iruka-sensei’s eyes on him, but the look doesn’t have the same intrusive feeling as Mizuki-sensei’s had. It’s as warm as his smile. “Naruto, could you lean this way?” When he does, Iruka-sensei plants a little kiss on his cheek. “There. Dinner and a kiss. A date.”

Naruto feels his face flush. “C..can I give you a kiss, too?”

Iruka-sensei turns his cheek toward Naruto, and Naruto does his best. Since Iruka-sensei is still smiling when he sits up straight, Naruto can’t have done all that bad, right?

“W..” The lingering warmth of Iruka-sensei’s kiss either makes him very brave or very foolish. “Would you like to have another date like this sometime?”

Iruka-sensei grins. “I would like that.”

“Mizuki-sensei won’t get mad at me?”

Ah. That makes the wonderful smile falter. He should have kept his mouth shut. But Iruka-sensei reaches over and ruffles his hair. “Mizuki-sensei won’t get mad at you. You see, I can go on different kinds of dates. I do _like_ like Mizuki-sensei, but…” And he taps the end of Naruto’s nose. “I like _you_ , too. And one kind is not less important than the other. Does that make sense? Even though Mizuki-sensei and I may spend special time together, you’re still very important to me, Naruto.”

Iruka-sensei really is amazing. In a matter of minutes, he had not only validated Naruto’s feelings, but helped him understand where both of them stand and why. He nods emphatically, giddy with the happiness of being important to the person he likes most.

Just before draining the dregs of ramen broth, though, Iruka-sensei adds, “But if you start making trouble again, I’m still going to track you down and tickle you into contrition.”

Naruto’s nervous chuckle gets lost somewhere in his own bowl. 


End file.
